Read any good music books lately? Or some all-time favorites?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Tim Wilson, Sep 2, 2014.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Aghast of Ithaca

    Aghast of Ithaca Forum Resident

    Location:
    Angleterre
    I hated Miles' autobiography. It made him sound like an oaf.

    I liked Ian Carr's biography, though.
     
    Gavinyl likes this.
  2. JoeRockhead

    JoeRockhead Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Just got the Johnny Cash FAQ book, so far very good!
     
    CEricBanister and Gavinyl like this.
  3. Clanceman

    Clanceman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, Or
    Guys, I'm just recently getting into jazz. Man, I'm loving this. At 49, I've been picking up titles and listening to stuff I never paid attention to before, thanks to these forums.

    My question: is the Miles Davis book one that will go over my head right now? Or will it be something that will actually enhance my appreciation as I'm discovering this great music for the first time? Thanks!
     
  4. cwsiggy

    cwsiggy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vero Beach, FL
    I read Miles a while ago and I wasn't really into jazz and I remember I absolutely loved the book. Very good read.
     
    Clanceman and Licorice pizza like this.
  5. Licorice pizza

    Licorice pizza Livin’ On The Fault Line

    It will greatly enhance your appreciation. He's been there from bebop to rap. You get a ringside seat to jazz history, drugs, Jim Crow, studio squabbles, etc... You'll learn all you need to know in order to make informative decisions when buying records, imho. :)
     
    Gavinyl and Clanceman like this.
  6. Clanceman

    Clanceman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, Or
    Thank you both, kindly.

    I'm going to order and have it overnighted right now. Going on a trip next week. I've got my first Miles and Coltrane iTunes loaded on my iPod and I'll be taking this book with me. Thanks a bunch. :tiphat:
     
  7. cwsiggy

    cwsiggy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vero Beach, FL
    I hope you are not a Puritan, cause I recall there is quite a bit of F-bombing. Women are not portrayed very well either. Pretend you are at a port dive bar and you are overhearing Miles tell his story to a bunch of sailors.
     
  8. Clanceman

    Clanceman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, Or
    I'll be looking forward to it. :righton:
     
    Gavinyl and cwsiggy like this.
  9. Licorice pizza

    Licorice pizza Livin’ On The Fault Line

    Yep, it's not for the faint of heart. Love that description.
     
    Gavinyl and cwsiggy like this.
  10. Dance Mxyzptlk

    Dance Mxyzptlk Forum Resident

    Location:
    Minneapolis MN USA
    The Musicians Joke Book by N. J. Groce

    [​IMG]
     
    Fullbug likes this.
  11. bruce85

    bruce85 Active Member

  12. Uncle Meat

    Uncle Meat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, Tx, US
    I read the Oliver Sacks books and liked it (all his books are interesting, couldn't make the stuff up). I've read most of his books, but not all (haven't jumped into "Migraine" yet).
     
    Gavinyl likes this.
  13. kendo

    kendo Forum Resident

    I finished reading this soft back about Zappa. A fine read by a (French?) writer. -

    [​IMG]

    ...and next I will finish off this -

    [​IMG]
    ... where "conceptual continuity" is laid bare for all to see. Arf!
     
    Gavinyl likes this.
  14. Rodney Toady

    Rodney Toady Waste of cyberspace

    Location:
    Finland
    Graham Bennett, Soft Machine: Out-Bloody-Rageous (SAF Publishing, 2005)
    Truly an excellent band biography, out-bloody-rageous indeed! Quite simply, Graham Bennett's scholarly tome is one of the best music-related books I have ever come across. It's been a while since I last read it, so I'll probably revisit it soon. Meanwhile, I am happy to recommend it to anyone who's looking for an enjoyable read.
     
  15. BLUESJAZZMAN

    BLUESJAZZMAN I Love Blues, Jazz, Rock, My Son & Honest People

    Location:
    Essex , England.
    Even if you knew "nothing" about Jazz you would still enjoy it. It's as much about his life and the political struggles of the day as it is about Jazz. It also talks about all those great Jazz clubs closing down with the ever changing music scene which is kind of sad...... It will make you laugh out loud and cry at the same time.
     
    Clanceman and Gavinyl like this.
  16. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Hope Nick Kent delivers another book.His first two 'The Dark Stuff ' rock journalism and "Apathy For The Devil" autobiography 'are always worth picking up and dipping into (white powder). :)
     
    Fullbug likes this.
  17. Gavinyl

    Gavinyl Remembering Member

  18. Brian Hamilton-Smith

    Brian Hamilton-Smith Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    'England's Dreaming' is a splendid book that puts the rise of the Sex Pistols in historical perspective while also paying close attention to the personalities involved. It's a marvellous invocation of the misery of mid-1970s England as much as a music book, which is probably why it is so good.

    Another great read is 'We Called It Music' by Eddie Condon. This captures the jazz scene in 1920's Chicago wonderfully, and is another book where you don't have to be a fan of the music to appreciate it.

    Another absorbing book is Tina Sinatra's 'My Father's Daughter', where the true horrors of Frank's marriage to Barbara and the rifts it caused in the family are revealed in almost embarrassing detail. This is a book where not one person emerges with any credit, not a single one: essential reading!
     
  19. MC Rag

    MC Rag Forum Resident

    My recent reads:

    Graham Bond: The Mighty Shadow by Harry Shapiro
    Peter Tosh: Steppin' Razor by John Masouri
    Eric Burdon: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
     
  20. Jos79

    Jos79 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Spain
    hugh . g. likes this.
  21. Marko L.

    Marko L. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Turku, Finland
    I received Malone's (and Jocelyn Neal's) "Country Music USA" (third revised edition) today. I've only been casually thumbing through it, but it really seems like an invaluable source of information.

    I'm sure I would have found it on my own some day (looks like it's widely considered "the definitive history" of country music), but I certainly wouldn't have ordered it now if not for you mentioning it. Thanks!
     
    chervokas likes this.
  22. uncarvedbloke

    uncarvedbloke Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK - SOT
    Just finishing (again) 'Perfecting Sound Forever' by Greg Milner. A great read.
     
    screechmartin and Beech like this.
  23. mmars982

    mmars982 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    The Beatles Lyrics - Hunter Davies
    [​IMG]

    Pretty good - I was expecting just scans of handwritten lyrics, but it's got a lot of background too.
     
  24. Retro Hound

    Retro Hound Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburg, KS
    Reading Mondo Exotica : Sounds, Visions, Obsessions of the Cocktail Generation, by Francesco Adinolfi. Mainly about the exotica/Tiki craze of the 1950s and '60s with some discussion of the revival in the 1990s onward. Pretty good if a little heavy on the white guilt occasionally.
     
  25. Brian Kelly

    Brian Kelly 1964-73 rock's best decade

    Currently reading ONE HIT WONDERS by Wayne Jancik. The stories of many of these performers are stranger than fiction. Good fun, good memories, and I've discovered some good songs that were either before my time or I missed at the time.

    Another great book I read not long ago was BLACK MONK TIME, the story of the Monks. This is another story that is stranger and better than fiction.
     
    hugh . g. likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine